Heaven and Hell's Most Wanted
by InsertPeppyNameHere
Summary: *sisfic* Long before Castiel ever raised Dean from perdition, he was given a direct order from his superiors. And that was to protect a sister the Winchester brothers didn't even know was alive. Being Sam's twin it was expected that Azazel had plans for her as well, but what? And why would Heaven want to save her, but then change their mind?
1. Chapter 1

These were his orders, and Castiel hadn't yet determined on whether he agreed with them. It was certainly an unusual duty placed upon his shoulders. The first time he had ever been commanded to protect a human being with his life. But he could honestly admit that he was honored to have been the one chosen. There was one miniscule detail however that had him momentarily perplexed. This girl, whose name was Kate Winchester, was apparently the daughter of John Winchester, a girl that wasn't even supposed to exist. She was Sam Winchesters twin, and had disappeared on the night of her six month birthday just after the fire in the nursery.

Castiel's superiors themselves hadn't an explanation as to how they didn't know of Kate's existence. They were well aware of the plans for Sam once he had grown, and how he had been fed demon blood at six months old. They had no choice but to believe that Kate had been as well, only- They had no solid proof of it. And as far as how she had existed all these years without being discovered... They had no explanation for that as well. But, it had been twenty two years since Sam and Kate were born, and everything was slowly but surely leading up to the moment they had been waiting for for centuries.

Sam had left the hunting life, opting instead for normalcy, but because of certain events had been brought back into it. He was now traveling with his brother again, in search of their Father who had gone missing. And Castiel was in charge of finding the sister and protecting her.

He had to be honest that even _he _was slightly anxious about this mission. It would be the first time he had taken a vessel, the first time he would actually interact with a human. Yes, he had spent centuries studying humanity but that didn't mean he was at all qualified to blend in amongst them. And he also had to be honest that the vessel he had chosen wasn't one to blend in, not to mention she was having trouble containing him. After a week he decided to abandon that vessel and seek out a new one- Finding him in a town called Pontiac. His name was Jimmy Novak, was a devout man that prayed daily, loved God immensely and was a solid candidate for such a heavenly mission. He would do, so after several long days of speaking to the man, forcing him to prove his faith, he finally took possession of him. And he had to admit it was much more comfortable this way, and he didn't have to worry about burning through him. Although, he didn't much care for the way people gawked at him. He supposed it was strange, though- It was the middle of summer and unfortunately Castiel had received his yes from Jimmy just as he was returning from work. He had to make do with the dark suit and trench coat.

But clothing choices and unusual vessels was the least of his worries right now. Now he needed to find Kate Winchester and begin his duty of protecting her. He knew it wouldn't be a simple task. This girl had grown up away from the Hunters lifestyle, had been considered normal. So no doubts she wouldn't take to the thought of an angel watching over her. In fact, Castiel was certain the girl would be inclined to believe he was insane. He was prepared for unruly behavior from the girl, possibly violence and disobedience as well.

She was a special case, his superiors had claimed. Which meant he was to be kind to her, and not lose his temper. Still he couldn't help but wonder why she was so special, and why he had been ordered to protect her to begin with. How she was any different than her Father and brothers, he didn't know- But it wasn't his place to question orders.

It didn't take long to track her down, in fact it was relatively quick he thought. She was living in a small town in Indiana, working as a waitress in some dirty eating establishment that Castiel couldn't help but cringe at.

First thoughts when looking at the girl was that she didn't look a thing like her twin brother Sam. Her hair was dark like their Fathers, her eyes hazel. She certainly wasn't lengthy like Sam and instead seemed to be what Castiel considered was average height and build. And there was nothing about her that gave off the illusion she was unusual and needed special treatment. She appeared to be nothing but an average young woman. If she was cursed with demon blood he certainly couldn't tell from this distance, so he decided to enter the building and try his best to not stick out like a sore thumb.

He had been observing for hours, so he knew which table the girl had been stationed at and quickly sat down there. This was the first time he would ever interact with humanity, so he tried to appear as normal as possible- Although he somewhat doubted it was coming off as "normal".

But she approached his table anyhow, and he glanced at the name tag on her shirt which naturally read "Kate".

"Hi, how're you today?" She smiled. "Do you know what you want?"

And already Castiel was at a loss for words- Because he didn't eat or drink, so he had no idea what might have been considered normal for this time of day. He took a quick glance around the restaurant and settled his eyes on an elderly man sipping at a beverage.

"I believe I'll have what that man is having." He said, pointing across the room.

Kate followed his eyes and once she saw the man nodded. "So... Just coffee then?"

"Yes. Just coffee, thank you." He replied.

He noticed her snicker quietly before returning to the kitchen, and he knew he had already failed at trying to "blend in". But that didn't really concern him, in fact he didn't care much if he went unnoticed exactly- He was mainly focused on trying to read the young woman that was his charge. Which, he noticed instantly... He couldn't. She was completely blank, as though she were a hollow statue devoid of life or thoughts. Which of course wasn't true, but... He knew now that there was at least something unusual about her. Normally he could read anyone without even batting an eye. Reading a humans mind was no difficult task, but with her it happened to be. That told him that chances were she had been fed demon blood as well, and this perhaps might be a certain skill she possessed. Sam Winchester had premonitions of events in the future. Kate very well might have had the same, he wasn't certain yet. It would require watching her far longer than a few hours to know.

She returned with his beverage a short time later, then resumed with her own duties. Castiel stayed at that table for hours, sipping coffee which he had absolutely no interest in, but he needed to give off the illusion he was a customer and not an angel sent to watch this human girl. Not that any patron there would have suspected that anyhow. It was after dark when Kate returned to his table for what seemed like the tenth time.

"Um, Sir." She said, nervously tucking a tendril of dark hair behind her ear. "I don't wanna disturb you but I'm gonna have to ask you to clear the table. My manager said that if you're going to stay for this long then you need to order something other than coffee, and well... You've been here for hours. Are you waiting for someone?"

Castiel's eyes squinted. "My vehicle is broken down. I'm waiting for it to be repaired."

She nodded. "O-Oh. Well there's a motel a block or so down the street?"

"I would rather stay here, thank you."

She blinked a few times over, noticeably shaken. "Well can I get you something else? I don't want to piss my manager off."

This was unusual, he thought. Wasn't he considered a regular customer regardless if he was only drinking coffee? Still, he didn't want to cause a scene, so he turned towards the specials menu tacked up on the wall.

"I will have the..." His eyes trailed over the bright blue marker jotted down. "The club sandwich with french fries."

She said nothing more before returning to the kitchen yet again- And despite not being able to read her thoughts, he could sense that she was wary of him, possibly even afraid. He had no choice but to conclude that his behavior wasn't giving off the illusion of "normal". It wasn't comforting knowing that he had already disturbed his charge. How would he be able to work with her amicably if she was afraid of him? This was going to be more difficult than he originally imagined.

He stayed until closing, and thankfully Jimmy Novak had a considerable amount of currency in his wallet, so he wouldn't have to leave without paying the bill. And, as he had observed from many other customers at the restaurant that day, leaving money for the waitress was considered common courtesy, so he left her what he assumed would be a reasonable amount of bills. As he watched from the window outside, invisibly of course, he noticed that when Kate picked up the money she stared at the one hundred dollar bill with a completely blank face and widened eyes.

Was it not enough? Should he have left more? He didn't know but that hardly mattered at this point. From here on out Kate would no longer be servicing this restaurant, she would have to leave with him. His orders were to keep moving with her, to avoid anyone or anything that might have been hunting the girl. Staying in one place too long would be risky and dangerous- But he couldn't help but ask himself how she had managed to live in this town for so long without being discovered. If she was as sought after as his superiors led him to believe, then it was surprising she had lived peacefully for so long a time.

Kate helped with cleaning and turning out the lights before saying goodnight to her coworkers and leaving the building on foot. He followed not ten paces behind her, still invisible, as she walked across the driveway and down a quiet and dark street.

She clicked around on her phone for a moment before holding it to her ear. He could hear the ringing through the air as a female picked up.

"Hey, Tracy." She said. "Yeah, I'm on my way home now. Get this, some guy left me a hundred bucks as a tip." Castiel heard the woman respond and laugh. "No, Tracy- He wasn't hitting on me... He was... Weird."

Castiel's brows furrowed. That proved it then, he definitely didn't come off as normal if Kate considered him "weird".

"No not creepy van guy weird, but just... I dunno, it was just a vibe I got... But anyway, I'm walking home now... Did he call?" The girl responded with something Kate must not have approved of. "God... What's it gonna take for him to leave me alone, huh? Am I gonna have to end up calling the cops, jeez." She turned down a side street that was even darker than the last. "He came to the house?!" She shrieked, her voice echoing down the quiet street. "No, that's... That's just freaky. He's been acting so weird lately, like an entirely different person."

Castiel's attention was peaked by that statement and he felt himself inching closer to listen to the conversation.

"I dunno, he used to be a nice guy, kinda weird and clingy but still nice. Now... It's like he's morphed into some crazy ass stalker. I swear I saw him staring in my bedroom window the other night." The girl on the other end started rambling before Kate said. "I have no idea why the house would smell like rotten eggs, did you check to see if something spoiled in the fridge?"

And that was it. Castiel knew now that it was already starting. Kate's life was already in danger, and not by just any average human- But a demon.

"Well anyway, I'll be home in twenty minutes or so, see ya then." And she hung up, slipping her phone back into her jeans pocket.

He noticed her pace pick up as she walked, her stiff shoulders and stance telling him that she was nervous as she traveled alone. Of course he could always make himself known, so she wouldn't have to fear walking in darkness alone, but his presence very well might upset her even more. After all, she considered him "weird".

When she started up the walkway to a small two story house, he instantly went ahead of her and peaked in the windows. All was quiet, but he could sense a shift in the air which told him that it wasn't at all safe. But showing himself now of all times wouldn't help matters. He would need to wait until she entered the home, because if there truly was a demon inside- Disposing of it before it could alert others of the girls location was top priority. So he lingered closely behind her as she reached up and twisted the doorknob, noticing it unlocked. For a moment she hesitated opening the door, before letting out a sigh and stepping into the foyer.

"Tracy? Why wasn't the door locked?" She called out, but received no answer. "Tracy?"

Castiel knew already that this Tracy was dead, and as soon as Kate moved from the foyer and started through the living room her pace slowed- Almost as though she could sense something wrong as well.

"Tracy? Where are you? Come on, don't play jokes now." She called out again and still all was quiet.

Castiel slipped past her, taking a peak into the next room which was the kitchen, seeing a blonde woman that seemed to be the around the same age as Kate laying bloody on the floor, dead- Her throat slashed right down to the bone. He let out a half sigh before Kate herself entered the room, skidding to a stop at the site of her friend.

"Oh... Oh my god." She somehow choked out, stumbling her way to the girl and kneeling down. "T-Tracy? Oh my god..."

She frantically reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, dialing 911, while Castiel waited in the background waiting for the demon to show himself. The scent of sulfur was prevalent in the air, to the point that even to an angel it was obnoxious. It was still there, but he was biding his time in appearing. Chances were, the demon sensed Castiel just as greatly as he sensed it.

"I n-need an ambulance!" Kate shouted into the phone. "My roommate, she's... I think she's dead!"

He barely listened to her as she screamed into the phone, while he turned a small circle trying to hone in on the demons exact location. He could sense a surge of energy that made his skin crawl just adjacent to the kitchen, tucked neatly behind a shelf full of books. If that was where the demon was hiding, it was a rather pathetic attempt. His brows furrowed as he stepped through the kitchen doorway and inched closer to the shelf while Kate continued to snivel into the phone. When he heard a crash and her scream, he turned quickly and ran back inside the kitchen noticing that a man dressed in black from head to toe had slammed her into the cabinets.

It was the demon, of course, and he didn't wait around any longer before showing himself and darting to the demon and knocking it backwards. It didn't get the chance to steady its feet before Castiel laid his hand against the mans forehead and the demons life was snuffed out with a shriek and blast of white light. Once the body fell to the floor, there were bloody gaping holes where his eyes used to be.

Kate was panting frantically behind him, and at a quick glance over his shoulder he could see her cradling her right wrist.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, even though it was obvious she was.

"Who the hell are you?!" Was her response. "What's going on?! What was that thing?!"

He let out a sigh- He didn't have the time to sit and explain this to her now, because the chances of there only being one demon in this town wasn't likely. So, instead of speaking he approached and laid his hand on her shoulder and with a quick gust of wind and flap of his wings moved her elsewhere. By the time they stopped it felt like a millisecond to her, but they had actually traveled over one thousand miles and across the country. He chose Colorado, for one reason or another, it wasn't a preference exactly- But he figured that was a great enough distance for the moment. They were standing in the middle of a clearing which was surrounded by forests.

Naturally the girl was frightened, and started screaming again once she realized what had happened. He was actually tempted to render her unconscious just to stop the howling, so he could gather his bearings and decide his next move- But resisted.

"Please," He said, holding his hands up thinking that might show he wasn't armed, and had no intention of harming her. "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Where are we?" She retorted, inching backwards away from him.

"Just outside of Denver Colorado. I needed to get you to safety."

"Who the hell are you? What's going on? What was that thing back there?"

So many questions, he wasn't prepared to be bombarded and interrogated- Even though it should have been most obvious he would have been. She was a normal girl, and had never experienced anything supernatural, so naturally she would have been afraid.

"My name is Castiel." He finally said. "I'm an angel of the Lord, and I've been sent here to protect you."

She gaped at him, her face white from fright. "You expect me to believe that? You're insane."

"I assure you that I'm perfectly sane, Kate. And yes, I do expect you to believe it because it's the truth." He took a look around the area. "I'm uncertain of where I should take you now. Naturally you couldn't remain here. It's not rational."

"Um, what?" She continued to back away. "You better start explaining yourself, buddy- Or..."

"Or?" His eyes squinted. "What could you possibly do? You couldn't run away, for a number of reasons, and even if you somehow managed it- It wouldn't be long before another demon made an attempt on your life. So, why would you even try?"

She was still panting from fear at this point, and he couldn't understand why. He explained who he was, what his purpose was, shouldn't that have been enough to ease the girls conscience? He was an angel, there was no other more suitable for protecting her than he was- And still she was shaking like a leaf and on the verge of fainting.

"This can't be real..." She breathed out. "I've gotta be dreaming... No way... This isn't real."

"It's very real," He replied. "And you're in danger. Now, we don't have the time to stand here, more demons could be following us. We need to keep moving."

He reached for her but she stumbled backwards. "Hold on a second!" She said, after thumping to the ground on her backside. "You don't just fucking grab a girl and take off with her without explaining yourself a little more than that!"

"I did explain," He rolled his eyes, this was exasperating. "I told you, I'm an angel of the..."

"Of the Lord, yeah you said that... Frickin nutcase," She huffed. "And you said "demons" are trying to kill me? Do you realize how crazy that sounds? Put yourself in my fucking situation, wouldn't you be just a little freaked out if some perfect stranger comes into your house and teleports you to Colorado?!"

He cocked his head to the side, contemplating an answer. "I suppose I would find it alarming."

"Alarming?!" She pulled herself to her feet. "My roommate's dead, and you just... Just... Blasted some dude in my kitchen and burnt his fucking eyes out, so yeah this is a little alarming! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't start screaming for help?"

"It would be pointless," He sighed. "We're miles from civilization, no one would hear you."

"That's not..." She swallowed once over. "That's not what I meant... I meant, you need to explain things a little more than just claiming you're an angel and demons are after me- Which for the record, is crazy... There's no such thing as demons."

This was growing tedious, Castiel thought. Perhaps it _would _be simpler to render her unconscious just so he could avoid these conversations. She certainly would be much more tolerable that way. But, he couldn't do that, it wouldn't have been fair. She was afraid, and had a right to be.

"I apologize for not explaining myself sooner, but I thought it might have been a mistake." He said. "And I know that this all must be very traumatizing for you, but I swear that I'm not the enemy. I've been sent here to protect you. You're highly sought after and hunted."

"But... Why?" She hadn't a choice but to believe him, at least for the moment, considering he had just saved her from some _thing _in her kitchen. "Why would demons be after me?"

"Because you're John Winchesters daughter, I would imagine." He answered.

"John... Winchester?" She blinked a few times over. "I don't know who that is... My Dad's name was Frank Parsons."

"Your birth Father was John Winchester. You were separated from your family at six months old after your Mother was killed in a nursery fire. Only your Father and brothers survived."

"Brothers... You've gotta be kidding me, right? This is a joke?"

He let out another gruff sigh. "I don't joke, Kate. I'll explain everything as much as I can, but not here... We need to move."

"Move... Move where?"

He didn't answer and instead laid his hand on her shoulder a second time, and moved to a different state, to a small town and an empty house on a dead end street. Once she noticed they were standing in the middle of a dusty old living room, she let out a deep breath.

"Jeez, you could give me a little warning before you do that." She said, rubbing her head.

"My apologizes." He took a good look around the area, and for the moment decided it was a decent enough place to keep her. "I could easily explain everything, but that would take too long, so instead I'll just transfer my thoughts to you."

"W-wait," She held up a finger. "You can actually..."

He cut her words off when he reached up with his index and middle finger and tapped her forehead. In a matter of half a second he knew she was being overwhelmed with thoughts, which caused her to stumble on her feet to the point he had to catch her from falling. Once the ordeal was over, she clenched her eyes shut and groaned.

"What..." She muttered. "All of that's really true? You're not bullshitting me?"

"No," He answered, releasing her once she got her balance back. "I told you that I was telling the truth."

She stared up at him with a look he could only describe as astonished. "So... You're really an angel? A real angel?"

"Yes."

"I... I need to sit down." She said, holding her arms out as she hobbled over to a partially broken chair and flopped down on it. "This is too much. God... Tracy... She's dead- Demons are apparently after me, and an angel in a trench coat just rescued me. I'm still not convinced that I'm not dreaming."

He only stood there, unsure of how to respond.

"Not only that, but apparently I'm adopted," She snorted. "And I have brothers... You know, it might not have hurt to spill all of this a little more gently."

"I don't think there would have been a way to be more gentle about it, Kate. You needed to know this information quickly, and this was the best way to achieve that."

"Yeah, ok." She rubbed her temples. "So... What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Stay alive," He answered, as though it were obvious. "And to do that you need to stay with me."

She gawked at him, still with that astonished gleam in her eyes. "For how long?"

"Until I receive further orders. I'm unsure of how long that will be."

Kate was at least calmed to the point her breathing was more steady. "How's this gonna work?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we'll need money, for one thing. I gotta eat, and sleep, and have clothes other than what I'm wearing right now. And I doubt you'll take me back to my house and let me pack a bag."

"No, that would be unwise."

"So, what the hell am I gonna do? I've only got about a hundred and twenty bucks on me, that's not gonna last long."

Yet again he cocked his head to the side. "You don't need to worry about that. If you require something then I can easily retrieve it for you."

"So... You'll steal it?"

He just barely nodded. "I don't think that it matters, do you?"

"Great," She shook her head. "So I'm gonna become a criminal, just what I always wanted. Look, uh... Castiel, right?" He nodded. "I'm grateful that you saved me, or whatever, but... I don't think this is gonna work out. I can't just be on the run, I have responsibilities at home, a job, a house, a mortgage- This is..." She stood. "I can't stay here, you gotta take me home."

"I'm sorry but that's not possible. You have to remain with me."

She wasn't looking so impressed anymore as a scowl creased her face. "So I don't have a choice in the matter? You're just gonna hold me hostage?"

"You're not a hostage, but no I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter. Like I said, my orders were to protect you and I intend to do that. I don't think you understand the severity of what's happening, Kate. Demons are after you, they want you dead and the only one capable of preventing that is myself. So, either you can cooperate with me and it can be an amicable relationship, or you can fight me and I won't be so... Pleasant."

"Pleasant?" She snorted out a laugh. "Sorry, sweetie- But you haven't exactly been very _pleasant _so far."

He felt his lips cinch in response to that statement. "Regardless of your opinion of me, these are my terms. So, I advise you make yourself comfortable and don't fight against me. I would hate to have to lock you down."

He had a feeling that she wasn't the type of person that liked being challenged, and she was definitely going to cause him trouble. She wouldn't be cooperative, he knew that much already- And he had a feeling he was going to be chasing her down every second of every day.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel's patience wasn't tested easily, in fact he always considered himself rather calm and reasonable. But Kate was definitely having a negative effect on his attitude. He wasn't certain if it was her way of punishing him for disrupting her life, or if maybe she just truly hated him that much, but in the three days that passed since he rescued her- She had done nothing but cause him problems. If it wasn't trying to sneak away when she thought he wasn't looking, it was trying to beat him off with any object she could find once he tried to drag her back. Honestly, he was proud of himself for not locking the girl in a closet somewhere and throwing away the key.

After her last escape attempt he had put her to sleep, laying her on the floor of the old house while he stood at the window, staring off into darkness. Once she started to stir, he heard her grumble before sitting up and saying, "You knocked me out again, didn't you?"

He didn't turn away from the window. "Yes."

"Ugh," She pulled herself to her feet. "Well thanks a lot. I needed a good nights sleep for fucking once."

"You left me no choice," He was finally starting to realize that her gratitude was more along the lines of sarcasm. "If I allowed you to escape then something might have happened to you."

"Yeah," She joined him at the window. "So, how long are we gonna stay here?"

"I don't know. Until I decide on where to take you next I suppose."

She let out a deep sigh, and leaned against the wall. "Okay, look. Since it's obvious that I don't have much of a choice but to be here, can we at least agree on a few things?"

"Like what?"

"Like... You stop being such a butt, for one thing. If we're gonna be like this for a while then we can at least try being friends, right?"

He furrowed his brows at her. "How exactly does someone give off the attitude of a persons buttocks?"

She snorted. "Uh, well- Not that hard actually. It just means, don't be an ass, get it?"

"I suppose. Although I'm not certain how I've been an "ass" exactly. I'm only doing my duty."

"Yeah and you're kinda cold about it. Sure, maybe you're an angel but you're not in heaven anymore. Which means you gotta chill out, relax a little- Stop being so cold and stiff, and... Weird." She noticed him roll his eyes. "We're both out of our elements here, right?" He nodded. "So I guess I gotta chill out too and stop expecting you to automatically bend to my standards, just like you need to not expect me to bend to yours. Understand?"

"I understand. I suppose I haven't been very... Kind."

"Yeah-" She nodded fervently. "Stop thinking of me as just some girl you gotta protect. If you keep that mindset then it's just gonna keep being weird. Like I said, we should at least try being friends, okay?"

"And if we become friends, does that mean you'll stop trying to escape?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I... Guess so-" She scowled. "It's not like I'm getting anywhere trying that anyway." She perked up slightly. "Okay, so... First thing's first, why don't we try getting to know each other a little better?"

"I already know as much about you as I could learn." He replied.

"Well good for you, but I know diddly squat about you- Other than your name's Castiel and you're a damn angel."

"What else is there to know?"

She shrugged, moving to the makeshift bed she had made during their stay there, which was basically a few folded blankets and one pillow, all of which Castiel had stolen.

"Well, yeah you're an angel but you're not a statue. You gotta have likes and dislikes. Just, spill anything... Some kind of details about you, so that way you won't feel like such a stranger."

This was unusual, he thought. He didn't have likes or dislikes, he was a warrior for God- A soldier, they weren't supposed to think of anything but obedience and serving heaven.

"I'm not sure how to answer that question, Kate." He replied. "I'm not human, which means my life differs greatly from yours."

"I know, but still... You gotta have some opinion on something? Something that might interest you, right?"

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, still unsure of how to respond. "No, there isn't."

"Seriously?" He tried to ignore her tone. "That's... That's sad, Cas." Now he shifted his gazes to her after hearing his newly acquired nick name. "We gotta change that."

"Why?"

"Because, you've been alive for how many centuries? And you've never even had the chance to find things that you might like or dislike?" She stood from the bed and moved to the door after grabbing his wrist. "Come on, we're gonna go out."

"Out?"

"Yeah, you're gonna experience something other than duties and being my body guard."

"I don't think that's wise, Kate. It could be dangerous."

"Oh bull crap. You're gonna be there, what can go wrong?"

Knowing her everything could go wrong. He had to consider that this new idea of hers might have been a cover up for another escape attempt. And if he was smart than he would simply drag her back to the house again and refuse to allow this, but... He didn't. Partly because he was curious to see what exactly she was intending to happen, partly because he was relieved that she was actually speaking to him without shouting. The last few days had been far from pleasant with knowing Kate distrusted him so much. She tried to give off the illusion she wasn't afraid, but he could tell she was. At times he would catch her watching him, as though she expected him to snap and attack. The last thing he wanted was for his charge to be afraid of him, things would never work out that way if that was the case. So, for those reasons he didn't object when Kate pulled him from the house and they started off towards town.

"Where are we going?" He asked after they passed a crowded four way stop.

"I dunno," She answered. "I'd like to eat something other than bags of potato chips and warm coke from a can. Maybe we can go grab a burger or something."

"I don't eat." He stated flatly.

"So? Just because you don't need to doesn't mean that you can't, right?"

"I suppose so. Although I don't see much point in it."

She let out a sigh that told him instantly she was annoyed. "Look, we're gonna be hanging around each other a lot, and you can't expect for me to be locked in an old dusty house the entire time. Sometimes I'm gonna have to get out and do something. And since you're insisting on being there to watch my back, you're gonna have to figure out how to blend in more."

"How would I accomplish that? I've tried, but I seemed to have failed because you thought I was weird."

They stopped at an intersection and she stared up at him. "Uh, well for one thing you could try not looking so stiff all the time. Try having some kind of expression, maybe?" She then shrugged, her expression suddenly changing. "Actually, scratch that. Never mind. Don't change, you're fine the way you are."

"What?" Now he was confused.

"It's variety, if everyone was the same it'd be boring. Besides, you're kinda amusing when you're all cute and clueless."

He wasn't certain how to receive that bit of information so he merely shirked it away. They started off again until coming to a diner and Kate was eager to go inside and take a seat. She checked her pocket where she kept her money and seemed satisfied at the amount before a waitress came over. He observed as she ordered a cheeseburger, french fries and coke, before the waitress gave her attention to him.

"Nothing for me, thank you." He said, and she turned back for the kitchen.

"Hey, I thought you were gonna try some stuff out?" Kate complained.

"It would be a waste of money for someone that doesn't require food to _order _food." He replied.

She rested her elbows on the table and cocked a brow at him. "Okay, fine- Then you can just share mine."

"I don't understand why you're so insistent on something like this. Do you know how many centuries I've lived and never-"

"Sounds kind of empty-" She cut him off. "To exist for so long and never even experiencing anything other than being a solider. Haven't you ever wanted something more?"

He was taken aback by that question- Because with being an obedient solider you're never to question anything. It's strictly forbidden and to have doubts was a crime punishable by death. He had siblings that had such doubts, a sister that actually ended up removing her own grace and falling because she wanted something more. Ever since then she had been hunted, and a death sentence was placed on her head. For a moment he couldn't help but ask himself why an angel would risk something like that happening- But, also in a way he supposed he could understand. Thousands of years living as one thing and one thing only, and never being able to experience anything else could grow redundant and mundane. Especially when you had all of humanity to observe in silence. He saw first hand how different humans were, how they were happy, sad, angry- All emotions he was completely unfamiliar with but curious about at the same time. He had to admit to himself that at times he was curious what those emotions were like.

But Kate couldn't know that, because he was supposed to be her guardian, and he couldn't allow her to know that there might have been a small part of him that could be considered weak.

"No," He finally answered, keeping his tone stern. "Angels don't have to want something more. What we are is fulfilling enough."

Her hazel eyes seared into his, her brows pressed together in what he could only describe was concern.

"That's sad." She replied, her tone quiet. "It's sad that you actually might believe that, Cas. You really don't know what you're missing. There's much more out there then just being a perfect angel, you know? Even the little things, like a bird singing or the wind in the trees could be considered something to enjoy. Do you really get no joy out of anything other than being a solider?"

And again he was taken aback, she had somehow saw right through him.

"I never stated that I felt joy from being a soldier." He said.

She expected him to go on, but once he made it clear he wasn't, she only sighed and started in on her food that had been brought to the table sometime during their moment of silence.

He kept his attention off of her for the remainder of the time at the diner. Already he was confused. Somehow, in such a short amount of time she had dissected every part of him that he wanted to keep hidden. She saw the weakness, the doubts. This was going to be trouble, he knew that much.

* * *

"Well?" Dean asked, as he nursed a beer in his hand. "Find anything yet, Sammy?"

"No," Sam sighed, tapping his fingers on the laptop. "Everything I've read so far shows that she's dead, Dean."

"Dad wouldn't have sent us that text if he wasn't damn certain." Dean sat back, resting his feet on the motel table. "So, you're obviously missing something."

Sam gave him the perfect bitch face and shook his head. "Sit and think about it, Dean. How could a six month old baby escape a fire all on her own? Dad had to rescue me, and you carried me outside. Katie's dead. No one else rescued her from that fire. She died with Mom."

His older brother shifted his heated gazes out the window, having little interest in his beer now.

"They never found her body," He replied finally. "Mom's was there, but Katie's wasn't. Dad says she's alive, and we're gonna act like she is until we have proof that she's not. Understand?"

Sam closed his laptop and tried to mind his tone. This subject was always touchy with Dean- It didn't matter how many years passed he couldn't get over their Mom and sister's death.

"You heard what the fire chief said," Sam went on. "The fire was hot enough that Katie's remains would have been completely destroyed."

"Then explain what the hell Dad's text meant!" He snapped. "He said Katie's alive, and we have to find her. She's in danger!"

Sam stood from the table and started pacing. It's not that he didn't want his twin sister to be alive, of course he did- But he didn't want to get his hopes up on something that was completely impossible.

"Okay, Dad said she's alive-" He said, after brushing his shaggy hair from his eyes. "So, where's the proof other than Dad's say so?"

"That's always been enough. He's never been wrong, man." Dean stood as well.

"Then tell me how the hell I'm supposed to track down our sister when there's absolutely no fucking leads _anywhere_?! She was declared dead in the fire, the only witness to the fire was you and Dad, and even you said that the fire was already burning up her crib by the time Dad handed me to you. Dad went back in for Mom and Katie, but he couldn't get her out, so... Tell me how she could've gotten out of that nursery, Dean. Seriously, explain it so it makes sense and I'll keep looking."

Dean swallowed hard, because he couldn't explain it. Logically there wasn't a way their sister survived that fire and he knew it. The only thing he had to go on was a lingering feeling in his gut that wouldn't go away. It had been there since the fire, and hadn't faded at all in the twenty two years since Katie supposedly died.

"We just gotta keep lookin, Sammy." He said, turning his back to his brother. "If there's a chance she's out there and we just gave up... Hell, I couldn't live with myself."

Sam sighed, letting his eyes fall to the floor. Even though he knew it was pointless and would only lead to more pain, he still agreed to do it. Because it was for Dean, and if it could somehow bring his brother some sort of closure in the end, then it would be worth it. Dean needed to accept the fact that their sister was dead, and she wasn't coming back.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam hadn't peeled his eyes off of his laptop in what felt like hours. It was late, really late, past 2 am, and Dean had been snoring in his bed since midnight.

He wasn't going to jump to any conclusions just yet, because nothing was solid or concrete. And he kept telling himself that the chances of their sister being alive were slim to none- Actually, if he wanted to be honest with himself, it was pretty damn impossible. But, there was one small thing that he couldn't push out of his head. The one and only way he could think of that might mean Katie was still alive.

But the issue with that thought was trying to figure out how he was going to explain it to Dean, and worse than that- How in the hell he was ever going to track the path.

He paused momentarily to rub his tired eyes, taking a cold gulp of water hoping it would jolt him awake. It didn't work, so now he opted for taking a five minute break from his laptop- So he could pace around the room. Apparently his pacing was enough to make Dean's eyes crack open, and he heard a grumble in response.

"What're you doin', Sammy?" Dean garbled with his face halfway in the pillow.

"Thinking." Sam replied, pausing to scratch absently at a scabbed over gash on his cheekbone. The results of their last hunt that had gone wrong.

Dean forced himself to sit up, groggily watching his brother while propped up on one elbow.

"Thinkin' about what?"

"About what Dad said about Katie." Sam sighed. "If she's really alive, I think I might know how."

Dean instantly pushed himself up completely. "How?"

"You know just as well as I do that Dad didn't take her out of her crib, and Mom-" He paused and cringed. "Couldn't have either, so... Who's the only other person that was in the nursery that night? The _only _one that could've grabbed Katie and disappeared before the fire started?"

Dean felt the blood drain from his face. "The thing that killed Mom."

"Exactly. He's the only one that could've taken her, Dean. And if he did, I don't know how I'm supposed to track her down. We haven't been able to track whatever it was that killed Mom- And Dad's AWOL out there and doesn't seem to give a flying crap about us being on our own. Yeah, he sends us texts every now and then with coordinates, but when we ask for help we get jack."

Sam fell back in his chair and started anxiously tapping his feet and Dean only let out a sigh- Wondering how finding their sister had turned into another bitching session about their Dad.

"Okay, well- If it was him that took her, you might have a point," Dean pulled himself off the bed and sat down across from Sammy. "I mean, it's not like we could search for babies that turned up in 1983, it's not that easy."

"I know," Sam huffed, grabbing his laptop again. "So, if we're gonna figure this out then we're probably gonna have to go back to the start. Back to the night of the fire, back to Lawrence, back to our old house."

"We were just back there a couple months ago, Sam-" Dean rubbed his head. "It's not like we could find anything in our old house. After we helped out that woman and her kids, that was it."

"But, we didn't ask Missouri about our sister-" Sam replied. "She was helping us out with the haunting at the house, but we never bothered to mention Katie because we thought she was dead. So, maybe we could go back and talk to her again- And maybe she could pick up on something left behind, right?"

"Maybe," Dean nodded. "It's worth a shot at least."

* * *

They were waiting in Missouri's living room, sitting on the sofa. She was with a client, just as she had been the first time they met the woman- And already they could hear a man sniveling as another door opened and he sobbed his way out the door. Missouri followed, shaking her head as she waved him off and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Thompson but you asked for the truth, it isn't always pretty."

Dean stifled back a snort when he heard the man cry something back in return before climbing in his truck.

After Missouri closed the door and joined them in the living room, the first thing she did was glare at Dean.

"Oh, you think it's funny that poor man's wife is sleepin' with her step son?"

Dean forced the smirk he had away and shook his head. "No Ma'am."

Sam averted his eyes to his lap, hoping Dean or Missouri wouldn't see him holding back laughter.

"So what brings you boys back here so soon?" She asked, sitting down in front of them.

And Dean felt his face scrunch in confusion. "You mean you can't tell already?"

"Boy, how many times do I have to tell you I can pick up on what I'm allowed? It's not like reading a book."

"Well," Sam sighed, interrupting Dean before he could respond. "We got a message from our Dad a couple weeks ago, and... It's something that we had a hard time believing." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Missouri, you know all the details on the fire that killed our Mom, right?"

"I know enough," She answered. "Why? What are you getting at?"

Dean swallowed and contemplated grabbing a cookie from a plate on the coffee table- But quickly stopped when the woman glared at him.

"Dad said that my twin sister didn't die in the fire," Sam went on. "He said she's alive and she's out there somewhere, and in danger."

"Kate?" Missouri let out a deep sigh. "Poor little girl, if you're asking if I knew she was alive then I didn't."

"No," Dean spoke now. "We were actually wondering if maybe you could help us out on finding her. We were trying to figure out how she coulda survived the fire, and the only thing we could think of was the thing that killed our Mom. Like, maybe he took her or something."

She nodded, and let her eyes trail off to the window. "If there would've been any chance I could've picked up on something, it would've happened at the house the last time, boys. So, I can't find her that way-"

Sam closed his eyes and heaved out a sigh. "Dammit. It was a long shot anyways."

"Don't go cutting me off in mid sentence," She spat back, barking at Sam this time which made Dean grin. "Just because I wouldn't be able to sense anything at the house don't mean there isn't a way of findin' her."

"Really? Then how?" Sam felt his heart skip a beat.

"You two are twins, Sam- You shared a womb for nine months. You have a sibling bond that's stronger than any other. In a way you're connected to each other, not only through blood but mentally too. If she's alive, you could find her if you concentrated hard enough."

Sam swallowed, looking back to Dean whose eyes were wide. "Like with my psychic thing?"

"Even if you didn't have those abilities you could still find her, but actually having them helps." She stood and moved to a china cabinet against the wall and pulled out three small jars filled with dried herbs. "Since you don't know how I can help, but... There's no guarantee it's gonna work. If she's dead, you won't see anything. And of course, if she's got abilities of her own might make a difference."

"Do you think she actually could?" Dean replied.

"If Sam has them, then chances are Kate does too." Missouri closed the curtains and snuffed out what little light was coming through the windows, making it practically as dark as night in the room. "This is gonna be overwhelming, Sam. And like I said, you might not like what you see. Are you sure you wanna go through with it, honey?"

"I have to," Sam nodded. "If she's out there and in trouble, we gotta find her."

Missouri only sighed before she placed the dried herbs in a bowl and lit them with a match- Before long the entire room was enveloped in smoke that made both brothers dizzy.

"Okay," She said. "Sit back and close your eyes," After Sam did it she went on. "Take long deep breaths, slow... Think about your sister, focus on her. Imagine what she would look like, think of how she sounds, every detail you imagine her to have, picture it. Let your mind take control."

Sam swallowed hard and in a matter of seconds it felt like he was floating on a cloud. He tried to imagine what she would have looked like now, and for some reason he didn't picture her looking anything like himself. There might have been similarities, such as her eye color and skin tone- But everything else he imagined was completely different. She wasn't tall, but not short, her voice was quiet and peaceful, and all in all she was beautiful.

"Can you picture her, Sam?" She asked, and he nodded faintly in response. "Now, let your mind go. Let it do what it needs to do, if she's out there... You'll find her."

He cringed slightly when he felt a stabbing pain through his temples, exactly the same as the pain he felt whenever he would have one of his premonitions. Before long he was grunting from the pain and gripping the sofa cushions so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Sammy?" Dean said, reaching over and latching onto his forearm but Sam didn't budge. "What's wrong with him?"

"Shh," Missouri hissed. "Leave the boy be."

Sam was in another place now, he could see scenery zipping through his mind so quickly it made him nauseous. Buildings, trees, roads and towns flying by in a matter of seconds before they suddenly stopped and a blurred image replaced it. But, it wasn't his sister he was looking at, it was a man.

"What do you see, Sam?" Missouri asked, her brows pushed together in concern.

"A man," He spat through gritted teeth. "I don't know who he is."

"What does he look like?"

Sam swallowed, feeling a trickle of blood run down from his nose. "Dark hair... Blue eyes... Suit and trench coat."

Dean was taken aback, and he looked to Missouri for some kind of confirmation that this was normal.

"How would you describe the way you're seeing this man, Sam? Is it like watching a movie?"

"N-No-" He stuttered. "It's like... He's... Looking right at me, talking to me. But- I can't hear what he's saying."

Dean was freaking out by this point and he looked to the woman in hopes of some kind of comfort. When she smiled slightly, Dean felt himself sigh in relief.

"You found her, sweetie-" She said. "You're lookin' out through Katie's eyes. You're seeing what she's seeing right now."

Now Dean sat back and tried to hide the fact that his hands were shaking. "Oh holy crap."

Sam cringed and brought his hands to clench his head. "Gah!" He shouted. "I can't see her! I don't know where she is!"

"Calm down," Missouri said soothingly. "Focus, Sam. What's happening now?"

He took several fast deep breaths and clenched his eyes shut tighter. "Uh... An empty house, it's dirty and old... There's busted furniture."

A series of fast moving scenes flashed through his mind now. A diner, a makeshift bed, the man in the trench coat, a street sign called Monroe, and finally a quick glance of a phone book laying on the steps of the empty house.

"Oh shit..." Sam breathed out, trying to void out the pain. "She's in Danville Illinois."

And just like that the flashes vanished and his eyes shot open as he fell forwards gripping his head tightly.

"Take deep breaths, Sam-" Missouri said. "Let yourself come back completely."

He was practically in tears now, not just from the pain but from a sudden rush of emotions that swept up on him.

Dean smacked him on the back a few times over. "You okay, Sammy?"

"Yeah," He grunted. "I'll be okay, just gimme a second." After he could open his eyes without them burning he pulled himself to his feet. "We gotta go. She's in Illinois, Dean."

Dean followed after him as he quickly fled out the front door. They stopped on the porch steps and Missouri joined them.

"You boys need to be careful. I don't know who that man was that Sam saw with her, but there's a good chance he could be someone dangerous." She said.

"We know," Dean replied. "And we'll be ready."

* * *

They drove all night, exceeding the speed limit by ridiculous amounts. When they entered Illinois both brothers were silent and hadn't spoken a word for over an hour. Neither of them knew what to expect, whether or not their sister had been compromised somehow, whether or not the man with her could've been tied to the creature that killed their Mother.

"We need to expect the worst, Sammy-" Dean finally said. "Just in case."

"I know." Sam spat back bitterly.

"She doesn't know us, she's probably gonna think we're crazy. And she sure as hell ain't gonna trust us already. That guy she's with has probably been pumpin' her head full of lies."

"I know." Sam repeated. "But she's our sister, and we're gonna bring her with us. Even if it means tying her up and throwing her in the trunk." He paused. "Dean what if..." He then swallowed hard. "What if that guy is the thing that killed Mom?"

Dean felt his jaw clench in response to that. "You said he had blue eyes?"

"He did, but... Maybe he's capable of shape shifting or something? We don't know what the thing is, it could be anything. Which means, we don't have any idea how to kill it."

Sam watched as his brothers grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"If she was with the yellow eyed thing then Dad woulda told us." Dean replied. "He wouldn't have sent us on a mission to track her down if he knew she was with him."

"How do we know that?" Sam shifted in his seat to face him. "He's off doing who the hell knows what, and leaving us to find Katie on our own and isn't even bothering to help us. It's his _daughter_, Dean- You'd think he'd wanna be here for that."

"Don't start, Sam. Dad's off doin' his own thing, if it wasn't important then he wouldn't be out there."

Sam narrowed his eyes, sending death stares at his brother. "Stop defending him. You always do that and I'm sick of it. This is different this time. This is our sister. The one we thought was dead! That should be enough motivation for him to come out of hiding and help us! I've left him a dozen voice mails and he hasn't responded once. What the hell is wrong with him?"

Dean couldn't answer that because he honestly had no idea what was going on with their Dad either. Yeah, he agreed with Sam this time, but he wasn't going to admit that. But, he agreed. Their sister, Sammy's twin, who they thought died in the fire with their Mother was alive- And they even knew where she was and he didn't give a damn enough to pick up the phone and call his sons? But he couldn't let Sam know he was just as pissed as he was, it would only cause more problems- And whether he liked to admit it or not he wanted to at least give their Dad the benefit of the doubt. No matter how wrong he felt it was that Dad wasn't with them, he had to tell himself it was for a good reason- Or else it just confirmed even more that their Dad was a selfish bastard.

"Let's just get to Danville, okay? We'll worry about Dad later- For now we gotta focus on getting Katie some place safe." Dean said, sighing deeply.

Sam cringed as he returned his attention out the passenger window. He kept telling himself that after this was over and done with, after they killed whatever killed their Mom, he was gonna take Katie and get the hell away from their Dad. The last thing his sister needed after going through whatever she'd been going through, was being near a Father who would completely neglect her and treat her like crap.

Who knows, he thought- Maybe he'd just take off with his sister now and forget about the whole revenge thing. Yes, he wanted to avenge Jessica's death, but now he needed to think about his sister. Chances are she wouldn't know anything about hunting, she would be scared out of her mind, and being her twin brother it meant he was responsible for her. He hated the thought that maybe he'd be rescuing Katie from a dangerous situation and thrusting her into another one.

When they rolled into Danville, they drove around for a good two hours before Sam caught site of something in the distance.

He instantly sat up and pointed. "That's the diner," he said. "The diner I saw in the flashes."

Dean sped up slightly before pulling into the parking lot. "Okay, do you got any idea how far it is from the house she's held up in?"

"No," Sam sighed. "All I know is that it's on Monroe street."

Dean nodded then pulled in farther to the parking lot stopping beside an elderly couple heading towards their car.

"Excuse me?" He said, flashing a charming smile. "But could you tell us where Monroe street is?"

The old man nodded and wobbly pointed towards the road. "Go past Fifth and Grant, it'll be the first road on the left."

"Thanks." Dean smiled again, then peeled out of the drive. "Okay, that was easy enough."

Sam was practically ready to fidget out of his seat he was so anxious, and it didn't take five minutes to reach Monroe street and for Dean to slow the Impala down.

They crept along the street, passing house after house before Sam pointed again. "I think it's that house. It's the only empty one on the block."

So Dean pulled over and parked less than a block away so they could sit and wait.

"We can't barge in," He said. "We need to wait it out, see if she comes out on her own."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "But if that guy's with her, what then?"

"I dunno. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

They both started getting impatient after an hour went by and there was no signs of life from the house. Another hour went by and still there was nothing. Halfway through the third hour the front door finally opened and the man in the trench coat stepped out onto the porch.

"Show time." Dean said, leaning forward and eyeballing the guy.

Seconds later a girl joined him on the porch, stopping as she buttoned up her jacket.

"Holy crap... Is that her?" Dean asked. "She's gorgeous. Uh... Is that weird? That I said my sister's gorgeous?"

Sam snickered. "No, it's not weird, and yeah- That's gotta be her, Dean. What do we do now?"

Since they were far enough away he started the Impala without attracting any attention.

"We're gonna follow em," He answered. "If she's alone then we need to go after her. We can't risk it with that guy there, we don't know what he's capable of."

Sam nodded in agreement and settled in as Katie and the mystery man started down the steps and off in the opposite direction. They didn't seem to be in any hurry, so Dean crept along a good block away as they walked. Several blocks later they pulled to a stop and watched as they entered the diner they passed on their way through town. From their position in the parking lot they could see them take a seat in a booth by the window.

"Okay," Dean said, grabbing his pistol and shoving it in his jacket. "We're goin' in."

* * *

Castiel was distracted, which to him was alarming. He was never distracted- His mind was always, _always _on his duties and never once had he allowed anything to interfere with that. But, he supposed he couldn't boast about that any longer, because from the moment Kate woke up that morning he'd felt as though his mind was trapped in a thick fog.

She noticed, and had questioned him several times over what was wrong, but he refused to answer.

It had been over a week since he rescued her from the demon and they'd been camping out in that old house, and even though they were getting along better- She wasn't trying to escape any longer, and they weren't bickering, she still couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved in his presence.

Still, she couldn't help but think that he actually was a decent guy. He was nice to her at least, which was more than she could say about any other man she'd known in the past. Plus, it was a bonus that he wasn't a pervert and she could actually trust him.

After she'd ordered her food, she sat back and waited, letting her attention trail off into the parking lot. She barely paid any attention to an old black car parked out front, or the two guys that jumped out of it- Instead she was busy watching the traffic on the street.

"So you never did answer my question earlier," She said, taring her eyes off the window. "When are we leaving here?"

Castiel sighed, focusing on the cup of coffee between his hands. "I haven't decided yet. It isn't wise to linger in one place too long, but I also wonder if it would be wise to move you since this area seems to be safe."

She rested her head on her hand, staring at him intently. "Are you ever gonna tell me what's with you today? You've been acting grouchy and distant."

He felt his eyes roll. "I honestly don't know."

"Did I piss you off again?"

"No, you haven't done anything to warrant anger."

"Then..." She shrugged. "What's going on?"

He rose his eyes to hers and shook his head. "It's been over a week since I've heard anything from my superiors. Everything has been completely silent so I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Kate nodded, then sat back. "Have you ever just considered doing whatever the hell you want? Instead of waiting around to be ordered to do something, just do what you want?"

His eyes squinted. "Why would I do that?"

"Uh," She snorted. "You _are _your own person, right? You're not a puppet on a string, why _wouldn't _you do that?"

"Maybe because if I started making my own choices I would be considered rebellious, and I would be punished?"

Her eyes went wide. "Are you serious? So... Say one day you decide you just wanna... I don't know, go out and do something fun without getting permission first, you'd get punished for that?"

"It depends on what I would be doing. If I would be going against orders, then yes."

Kate shook her head, looking away and pursing her lips. "No offense, Cas- But you need to grow some balls."

"Excuse me?" He sat up straight, glaring at her.

"Grow some balls, Cas- I mean, my god- You've been alive for how many centuries and you've never once done anything that you wanted to do? That's not living, that's just... Existing. Existing and being used like a tool."

He looked away quickly, unable to meet her eyes now. "You don't understand the situation."

"Yeah, I think I do. You're a good guy, you don't wanna be a rebel, but I think deep down a part of you wants to live your own life. But you're too scared to actually do it because your "superiors" might ream you. But, if it were me," She leaned forward forcing him to look at her. "If it was my life and I was being used that way, I think I'd rather risk being caught and punished if it meant actually _living_ for once. What's the point of existing at all if it's completely miserable?" She eased her tone once she noticed his expression. "I don't think I could live that way. And you shouldn't have to. You deserve more than that."

The conversation stopped when her food was brought to the table- And he even more so couldn't bring himself to look at her.

How was it possible that she could see through him so easily? Not even his brothers and sisters in heaven could see that doubt in him, and they were angels. How could this girl, a _human _girl no less, read him so openly? He couldn't help but admit to himself that it frightened him slightly.

She ate half of her sandwich before sliding out of the booth.

"Where are you going?" He asked, content with jumping up and following her.

"To the bathroom." She answered. "Sorry, sweetie- But you can't come with me this time."

He eased back into the booth and nodded. "Then I'll wait here, but if you're not back in five minutes I'm coming to look for you."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Don't time me, Cas. That just makes it awkward."

Kate left the table and moved through the room until coming to the hallway that led to the bathrooms. They were past the kitchen, and sectioned off in a quiet area. After pushing the door open and moving inside, she stopped in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection. Overall she wasn't in there thirty seconds before the door pushed open a second time and two men walked in.

Instantly she backed away, feeling her hands go clammy.

"Uh," She said. "I think you want the men's room."

She noticed the shorter of the two stay by the door, leaning against it to prevent anyone else from coming in, while the tall one with longer hair moved closer to her.

"Kate," He said, then held up his hands. "It's okay, we're not gonna hurt you."

She continued to back away until she was pressed into the sink. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"It's okay," He repeated. "My name's Sam, and that's my brother Dean-" He motioned towards the other man. "We're here to help you."

"I-I don't need help. You need to leave." She retorted.

"We can't do that, Kate-" He tried giving a faint smile. "We've been looking for you for a really long time now. You're in danger. Let us explain, alright?"

She was panicking now, her breath coming in short fast pants, her heart felt like it was going to pound right out of her chest. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that these two men were demons.

"Sammy, the puppy dog thing isn't working this time," Dean said. "Hurry it up."

Sam nodded, still trying to calm her down with a smile. "Listen, this is gonna be really hard to believe, but you just need to hear us out, okay? Dean and I, we're your..."

"Cas!" Kate suddenly shouted. "Cas, help!"

Not even two seconds later Cas suddenly appeared in the room and pounced into action. He slammed his hand against Sam's chest and sent him flying into the wall. Dean was momentarily startled before he shook it off and pulled a pistol from his jacket and started firing. Each shot hit Castiel point blank in the chest, but he wasn't fazed and instead started for Dean when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

For a moment they only stared at each other, Dean with his gun raised and at the ready, and Castiel with his eyes wide. Sam was grunting from the floor as he struggled to pull himself to his feet.

"Who the hell are you?!" Dean shouted, and Cas only stood there silent. "Answer me you son of a bitch! Who the fuck are you and why are you with our sister?!"

Kate's face went pale as she looked to Castiel who hadn't moved for a good thirty seconds. The silence was interrupted when the sound of police sirens blared from outside.

"Shit," Dean said, but didn't lower his gun. "You got three seconds to tell us what the hell you are, or I'll put a bullet in your head!"

Kate was the first to move as she pushed away from the sink and practically hid in Castiel's shadow. He instinctively reached behind him and latched onto her hand, pulling her closer.

"This is an inconvenience," Castiel finally spoke. "This wasn't supposed to happen yet."

Dean's gazes hardened as he squared his jaw. "What the hell are you talkin' about?" Sam finally managed to stand, but he was wheezing and clenching his chest. "Sammy, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah-" He grunted. "I'll live."

Castiel sighed and shook his head, then glanced down at Kate who was still scared to death.

"We have to leave, the authorities are here," He said. "If you can calm yourselves down," He directed that statement to Sam and Dean. "Then I'll bring you with us. Is that agreeable?"

"Or I could just shoot you between the eyes?" Dean shrugged. "That might be easier."

"I think the holes in my chest are proof that your weapon is useless against me, Dean." Castiel replied.

Dean flinched slightly, his gun lowering only slightly before he rose it a second time. "How'd you know my name?"

"I know everything about you. Sam as well. Like I said, if you can calm down then I'll bring you with us, if not... I'll let you stay here and deal with the police on your own."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, and under normal circumstances they'd never trust a monster- But considering this monster had his grip on their sister, and their guns were useless, they didn't have much of a choice but to agree.

"Okay," Dean relented, putting his gun back in his jacket. "Fine, have it your way. We're calm."

Castiel nodded and moved closer, instantly transporting them to the old house he and Kate had been hiding in. Once Sam and Dean steadied themselves and noticed where they were, Dean's arms fell limply at his sides.

"What the hell..." He muttered.

"How'd he..." Sam added. "Do that?"

"Give us a moment." Cas said, then pulled Kate into the room across the hall.

They followed close enough to observe from the doorway, watching as their sister stared up at the man with tears in her eyes, still shaking from the incident in the bathroom. Whatever the freak was saying to her was making her mouth go agape.

"What do we do now, Dean?" Sam whispered. "We're not armed."

"No shit, Sherlock," Dean snapped back. "I don't know. I don't even know what the hell he is."

After a couple minutes of watching them whisper, Kate suddenly wiped the tears from her eyes and fell onto the guy in a hug. Both brothers only arched their brows once they noticed he wasn't hugging her back, but standing there stiff and awkward.

"_Okayyy_. What the hell's going on?" Dean said, then cringed slightly when the guy uncomfortably patted her back. "Seriously, what is he?"

"I don't know," Sam sighed. "But why do I get the feeling he's not exactly a foaming at the mouth monster?"

"Maybe cause he's not tryin' to peel our faces off?" Dean retorted. "Still don't mean I trust him."

They stepped back once their sister and the guy returned to the room they stood in. Kate wasn't hiding in his shadow any longer, but it still didn't mean she didn't look freaked out.

"Okay, are we gonna get an explanation now or what?" Dean barked.

"My name is Castiel- And in answer to your question at the diner, I'm an angel of the Lord."

Dean instantly snorted out a sarcastic laugh while Sam went blank.

"Uh," Sam spoke, since it was clear Dean was too busy laughing. "Sorry, but... You can't really expect us to believe that, right? How do we know you're not lying?"

"He's not." Kate said timidly. "He's telling the truth, he really is an angel."

Dean suddenly stopped laughing and stood up straight. "Wait a friggin second. Angels aren't real."

Cas sighed and shook his head. "I don't have the time to go through this with you. You've completely fouled everything up. Kate wasn't supposed to meet you until much later and now I don't know what to do with the three of you."

"Alright, let me make it easy for ya, dick-" Dean said. "Just let us take our sister with us, and there won't be a problem."

"I can't do that. Kate is my responsibility and she can't leave my site." Cas replied. "But that doesn't erase the fact that your presence is going to cause issues."

"Issues?" Sam retorted. "How are we causing issues? She's our sister, she belongs with her family."

Kate swallowed hard and didn't respond.

"Regardless if you're her family," Cas went on. "She's safest with me. And you're not supposed to be here, so- I think it would be best if you went on your way."

"Oh hell no," Dean said, then pulled his gun a second time. "She's comin' with us."

"I very much doubt that threatening her guardian with a gun is going to motivate her into going with you," Cas stepped forward. "And it wouldn't be wise to test me, Dean- You wouldn't like what would happen."

"Wait, wait a second. Let's just calm down, okay?" Sam said. "How exactly do you know about us, and why are you Kate's guardian?"

"Every angel in creation knows about the Winchesters, and I was ordered to protect Kate. So forgive me if I don't automatically stand down at your request. Kate is going to remain with me, so you should leave... _Now_." Cas stood tall and Kate shook her head.

"Guys, zip up and put away the rulers okay?" She said. "We're not gonna get anywhere with you just standing there arguing with each other. We need to figure something else out here." She crossed her arms. "It's not really the best idea to piss Cas off, he could kind of crush you with his pinky finger if he wanted to-" Sam and Dean only furrowed their brows while Cas just barely smirked. "And Cas, seeing is that they're my brothers apparently, you shouldn't just try to kick their asses out the door either. So really, let's come up with something reasonable, okay?"

She moved across the room and sat on a busted chair.

"Okay," Sam cleared his throat. "Well, I think that, uh... This needs to be done first of all."

He then moved across the room and yanked Kate from the chair and pulled her into a hug. She was startled for the most part before hugging him back. Next up was Dean, who squeezed her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"I haven't seen you since you were a baby," He said. "You grew up."

She didn't know how to respond to that- Because she had no memories of them. She didn't even know she had brothers up until the night Castiel rescued her from demons. Her entire life she believed she was someone else, but turns out she had a whole other family out there that she never knew existed.

Her eyes moved from over Dean's shoulder to Cas who stood in the background. He didn't seem to be at all happy with the situation, but she couldn't help but notice that his expression was much softer now that he was watching the interaction in front of him. She knew better now than to believe he was this big tough angel ready to squish anyone under his feet. Castiel had a soft spot to him, and she couldn't help but like that about him.


End file.
